And speaking of marsupials...

We just received an interested querist wondering about size Texas possum droppings

Well, you know what they say about Texas, and as expected, this is no exception. The largest ever recorded was found outside of Fluvanna, Texas on October 10, 1966, by a housewife named Verna Sludden. It was photographed by her husband Hunko "Jeb" Sludden alongside of a basketball for size comparison, although is was actually more the shape of a rugby ball. It was weighed on the Sludden's bathroom scale and is reported to have weighed 88 pounds, 4 ounces.

Several scientists from the Texas A&M Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Science examined the dropping and were impressed both with its size, and after laboratory analysis, its contents, which included portions of three bobcats, a flashlight, a rear seat ashtray from a 1962 Chrysler, pages 8-95 of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, an Oklahoma State Fair ceramic thimble (undated), an inert WWII grenade, a size 36B Playtex longline brassiere, $15 in assorted change (not including 4 pesos), a harmonica, and a variety of other items.

The items were later cataloged and photographed, and published in a small book (now out of print) called Interesting Texas Finds, 1960-1968, which featured The Rio Grande Cave Creature and Jim Tertigan's Amazing Hat.

As always, the Possumblog Science Staff are happy to assist in all matters of furthering man's knowledge of the universe.
posted by Terry at 4:32:00 PM